East Anglia Fox
Active Member
Ok, I know it's only a friendly, but in my opinion some of these call-ups are just ridiculous. I've always been a believer that if a player can't get into the first team of the club they are playing for, then they don't deserve to be called up for England.
Chris Smalling for example, is very much a fringe player for Manchester United, being behind the likes of Ferdinand, Vidic, and even Wes Brown. However, he's managed to get an inclusion in the England squad.
I think the same could be said for Keiron Gibbs. Why does someone warrant a place in the England squad when they haven't even managed to establish themselves in the starting line-up of the club they play for? Has England really sunk that low in stature?
Then of course there's Jay Bothroyd. My first thoughts on this are: if a player hasn't really been that impressive an Premiership level, they probably shouldn't be picked for England. Obviously, he's been excellent so far in the Championship. However, who's to say strikers like Marlon Harewood, Jason Roberts, DJ Campbell, Andy Johnson, or Cameron Jerome wouldn't also have scored 15 goals if they were currently playing for a Championship club? We all know they're nowhere near the England squad.
Chris Smalling for example, is very much a fringe player for Manchester United, being behind the likes of Ferdinand, Vidic, and even Wes Brown. However, he's managed to get an inclusion in the England squad.
I think the same could be said for Keiron Gibbs. Why does someone warrant a place in the England squad when they haven't even managed to establish themselves in the starting line-up of the club they play for? Has England really sunk that low in stature?
Then of course there's Jay Bothroyd. My first thoughts on this are: if a player hasn't really been that impressive an Premiership level, they probably shouldn't be picked for England. Obviously, he's been excellent so far in the Championship. However, who's to say strikers like Marlon Harewood, Jason Roberts, DJ Campbell, Andy Johnson, or Cameron Jerome wouldn't also have scored 15 goals if they were currently playing for a Championship club? We all know they're nowhere near the England squad.
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